Settlement of Claims that Companies Evaded Import Duties

German-based hubergroup USA, Inc., ("Huber") agreed to pay $2 million, plus interest, to settle a lawsuit initiated by John A. Dickson III, CEO of Nation Ford Chemical, alleging it violated the federal False Claims Act by misclassifying certain products being imported into the United States from India as ink, rather than pigment, to avoid paying higher import duties applicable to pigment. Duties upon pigments, a component of inks, are much greater than the duties imposed upon finished inks. The Settlement Agreement was filed under seal on July 26, 2016, and the seal has since been lifted.

November 22, 2016